Another National Anthem by Stephen Sondheim
Another National Anthem lyrics
The sound of lamentation is heard.
CZOLGOSZ
I did it because it is wrong for one man to have so
much service when other men have none...
BOOTH
I did it do bring down the government of Abraham
Lincoln and avenge the ravaged South...
HINCKLEY
I did it to prove to her my everlasting love...
FROMME
I did it to make them listen to Charlie...
ZANGARA
I did it 'cause my belly was on fire...
GUITEAU
I did it to preserve the Union and promote the sale of
my book...
MOORE
I did it so my friends would know where I was coming
from...
BYCK
Where's my prize?
CZOLGOSZ
I did it because no one cared about the poor man's
pain...
MOORE
I did it so I'd know where I was coming from...
BYCK
I want my prize...
ZANGARA
I did it 'cause the bosses made my belly burn...
HINCKLEY
I did it so she'd pay attention...
MOORE
So I'd have someplace to come from, and someplace to
go...
BYCK
Don't I get a prize?...
GUITEAU
I did it 'cause they said I'd be ambassador to
France...
BOOTH
I did it so they'd suffer in the North the way we'd
suffered in the South...
BYCK
I deserve a fucking prize!...
FROMME
I did it so there'd be a trial, and Charlie would get
to be a witness, and he'd be on TV, and he'd save the
world!...
GUITEAU
Where's my prize?
BYCK
I did it to make people listen.
CZOLGOSZ, FROMME
They promised me a prize...
HINCKLEY
Because she wouldn't take my phone calls --
ALL
(except Zangara)
What about my prize?...
ZANGARA
Because nothing stopped the fire--!
ALL
(except Byck)
I want my prize!...
BYCK
Nobody would listen!
BALLADEER
(entering, to Assassins)
And it didn't mean a nickel,
You just shed a little blood,
And a lot of people shed a lot of tears.
Yes, you made a little moment
And you stirred a little mud --
But it didn't fix the stomach
And you've drunk your final Bud,
And it didn't help the workers
And it didn't heal the country
And it didn't make them listen
And they never said, "We're sorry"--
BYCK
Yeah, it's never gonna happen,
Is it?
No, sir --
CZOLGOSZ
Never.
BYCK
No, we're never gonna get the prize --
FROMME
No one listens...
BYCK
-- Are we?
ZANGARA
Never.
BYCK
No, it doesn't make a bit of difference,
Does it?
OTHERS
(variously)
Didn't.
Ever.
BYCK
Fuck it!
OTHERS
Spread the word...
ALL
Where's my prize?...
BALLADEER
I just heard
On the news
Where the mailman won the lottery.
Goes to show:
When you lose, what you do is try again.
You can be
What you choose,
From a mailman to a president.
There are prizes all around you,
If you're wise enough to see:
The delivery boy's on Wall Street,
And the usherette's a rock star --
BYCK
Right, it's never gonna happen, is it?
Is it!
HINCKLEY, FROMME
No, man!
BYCK, CZOLGOSZ
No, we'll never see the day arrive --
ASSASSINS
(variously)
Spread the word...
Will we?
No, sir --
Never!
No one's ever gonna even care if we're alive,
Are they?...
Never...
Spread the word...
We're alive...
Someone's gonna listen...
Listen!
BYCK
Listen...
There's another national anthem playing,
Not the one you cheer
At the ball park.
MOORE
Where's my prize?...
BYCK
It's the other national anthem, saying,
If you want to hear --
It says, "Bullshit!"...
CZOLGOSZ
It says, "Never!" --
GUITEAU
It says, "Sorry!" --
OTHERS
Loud and clear --
ASSASSINS
(variously)
It says: Listen
To the tune that keeps sounding
In the distance, on the outside,
Coming through the ground,
To the hearts that go on pounding
To the sound
Getting louder every year --
Listen to the sound...
Take a look around...
We're the other national anthem, folks,
The ones that can't get in-
To the ball park.
Spread the word...
There's another national anthem, folks,
For those who never win,
For the suckers, for the pikers,
For the ones who might have been...
BALLADEER
There are those who love regretting,
There are those who like extremes,
There are those who thrive on chaos
And despair.
There are those who keep forgetting
How the country's built on dreams --
ASSASSINS
People listen...
BALLADEER
-- And the mailman won the lottery --
ASSASSINS
They may not want to hear it,
But they listen,
Once they think it's gonna stop the game...
BALLADEER
-- And the usherette's a rock star.
ASSASSINS
No, they may not understand
All the words,
All the same
They hear the music...
They hear the screams...
BALLADEER
(to the Assassins)
I've got news --
ASSASSINS
They hear the sobs,
They hear the drums...
BALLADEER
-- You forgot about the country --
ASSASSINS
The muffled drums,
The muffled dreams...
BALLADEER
-- So it's now forgotten you --
ASSASSINS
And they rise...
BYCK
You know why I did it? Because there isn't any Santa
Claus!
ASSASSINS
Where's my prize?
BALLADEER
And you forgot --
ASSASSINS
Where's my prize?
BALLADEER
-- How quick it heals --
ASSASSINS
Promises and lies...
BALLADEER
-- That it's a place
Where you can make the lies come true --
ASSASSINS
Spread the word...
BALLADEER
-- If you try --
ASSASSINS
Gotta spread the word...
BALLADEER
-- That's all you have to do --
ASSASSINS
Right,
All you have to do...
(They advance on the Balladeer, forcing him off the
stage, then turn front.)
Well, there's another national anthem,
And I think it just begun
In the ball park.
Listen hard...
Like the other national anthem
Says to each and every fan:
If you can't do what you want to,
Then you do the things you can.
You've got to try again!
(variously)
Like they say,
You've got to keep on trying
Every day
Until you get a prize...
Until you get a prize ...
(One by one, they start to leave the stage.)
Until you're heard...
Mustn't get discouraged...
Spread the word...
Mustn't give up hope...
Up to you --
Don't say --
-- What you choose...
-- It's never gonna happen...
Spread the word...
ALL
You can always get a prize...
BOOTH
You can always get your dream...
BYCK
Sure, the mailman won the lottery...
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